13. Iran

Iran mustn’t to allowed to make a nuclear weapon. It must treat its people properly.

The regime is harsh and hangs dissidents and converts to christianity. Courageous churches are growing fast despite the adversity.

The truculence of Russia and China make it hard for the international community to act together against the very serious threat to the region that Iran poses.

The Americans had the bitter, humiliating experience in the early Khomeini years of the occupation of their embassy and prolonged detention as hostages of the embassy staff.

Iran is a young society with a long and noble history.

The International Atomic Energy Agency thinks Iran is indeed producing a bomb and there is talk of it having or nearly having four devices now or in the near future.

This is intolerable and we need to respond. The British government has worked diplomatically on this issue for many years with other powers. Russia has influence over Iran but is an uneasy international partner. The more Russia can emerge from its political winter the better will be the prospects of achieving a strong consensus for action to restrain Iran.

Israel is presumed to be the main target but other nations in the Middle East also fear the aggression of a nuclear armed Iran. It is possible that Israel may launch a pre-emptive attack as it did on a previous threatening facility in Syria. Or Iran might proceed to attack Israel. In either case, some rapid decisions would have to be made about how to respond and we should have our options ready which might have to include a military element.